Season 2 · Episode 665
Inside the Stack: The Hidden Layers of Every AI Prompt
Ever wonder what happens after you hit enter? Discover the hidden "stack" of instructions and memories shaping every AI response.
My Weird Prompts · Daniel Rosehill
February 17, 202629m 19s
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Show Notes
When you type a message to an AI, you aren’t just talking to a blank slate; you’re entering a complex, multi-layered conversation governed by a massive "prompting stack." In this episode of My Weird Prompts, Herman and Corn break down the six or seven invisible layers—from vendor system prompts and personal memories to RAG and chat history—that process your request before the model even sees your first word. They explore the "battle for prompt supremacy," the technical costs of massive context windows in 2026, and how these hidden instructions define the AI's personality and safety boundaries. Whether you're a developer using APIs or a power user on ChatGPT, this deep dive reveals the invisible architecture of modern Large Language Models and the "iceberg effect" of instructions hidden beneath the surface of every chat box.